In an image sensing apparatus such as a digital camera, an image signal obtained by an image sensing device such as a CCD is converted into a digital image signal by an A/D converter and a signal processing unit. Then compression using the JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Group) method or the like is performed on the digital image signal by a compression unit. The compressed data is stored as an image file into a recording unit such as a memory card.
In some cases, the image sensing apparatus is connected to a computer via a transmission/reception unit such as a USB unit, and the image file stored in the memory card is transmitted from the image sensing apparatus to the computer. However, when the computer enters a suspended status as a low electric consumption mode, the data transmission/reception unit of the computer is not operative, therefore the image file cannot be transmitted from the image sensing apparatus to the computer. Once the computer has entered the suspended status, to transmit the image file again from the image sensing apparatus to the computer, it is conventionally necessary to bring the transmission/reception unit such as a USB unit into operative status to release the suspended status, by e.g. depressing a particular switch of the computer.
However, in the above-described image sensing apparatus, to restore the computer from the suspended status as a low electric consumption mode and bring the transmission/reception unit such as a USB unit into the operative status, a user, who is even operating the image sensing apparatus, must move the hands off the apparatus and operate the computer. This is troublesome, and further, the user might miss a shutter chance while he/she operates the computer.